THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN 19TH-CENTURY AMERICA

Guiding Question: In what ways were women limited in 19th- century America?

Women living in the United States in the 19th century, or the 1800s, had few rights. Women were not allowed to vote. Very few women went to college. Education was considered only important for men.

Women were expected to marry a man and bear his children Women were expected to marry a man and bear his children. If women worked, they had to give their wages to a man. Women could not get divorced, even if their husbands abused them.

However, many women worked very hard to gain equal rights However, many women worked very hard to gain equal rights. By the late 1800s, women had formed a movement to gain the right to vote. In 1920, women in the United States were allowed to vote for the first time.

Name four ways that women were limited in the 1880s.

Now let’s read an article from Housekeeping Monthly dated May 13, 1955. How have conditions changed in 60 years?

Paragraph 1 : Think about what you know about heart disease Paragraph 1 : Think about what you know about heart disease. Think about what can happen when you break bad news to someone with heart disease. Paragraph 2: What do you think the author meant by “veiled hints that revealed in half concealing.”? Predict what will happen next… What is another interpretation of “heart troubles”?

Paragraph 3: Do you know anyone who is unable to accept the significance of what a tragedy such as death, or anything else, means when they hear about it suddenly? Or do you know someone who would immediately begin to weep? Imagery is the use of words and phrases that appeal to one of our 5 senses. Can you point out any uses of imagery? Paragraph 4: What does it mean to be “pressed down by a physical exhaustion that haunted her body and seemed to reach into her soul”? What might the theme of the story be so far?

Paragraph 5, 6, and 7: What imagery is used in these paragraphs Paragraph 5, 6, and 7: What imagery is used in these paragraphs? What mood is being created with these images? What might the author be suggesting? Paragraph 8: What does repression mean? How can lines of repression and strength both be shown in one’s face. Why did her eyes have a dull stare as they fixed themselves on patches of blue sky? What can we infer about Mrs. Mallard at this point?

Paragraph 9: What is coming to her? Is it evil? Is it good? Paragraph 10: Why is she trying to ignore the thing that threatens to overtake her will? Paragraph 11: What do we learn?

Paragraph 12, 13, and 14: Let’s summarize here. What does it mean to “Impress his will”? How do you feel about Mrs. Mallard now? About her husband? What about the theme? is your interpretation changing? Paragraph 15 and 16: What could possibly happen in the remainder of the story? Make a prediction… Paragraph 17 and 18: We finally learn Mrs. Mallard’s first name. Why might this be significant? Think about a time you have been worried about someone.

Paragraph 19: What does this paragraph infer? Paragraph 20: Louise Mallard finally emerges from the room she has closed herself into. She had been drinking in the “very elixir of life” in the previous paragraphs. Now she emerges like “a goddess of victory.” What can you infer from these words?

Paragraph 21: Make a prediction about what will happen after Brently Mallard walks in the door?

Paragraph 22-23: What does the author mean by “the joy that kills”? What might the theme of the story be? Is this story still relevant today?

Pack and Stack! Make tables of 5 Count off and move Locate 3 examples of Irony from the story and record them on your chart. Use pink highlighter to locate 2 examples of indirect characterization. Use your green highlighter to locate the line that foreshadows the ending of the story. Use your blue highlighter to locate an example of how we can determine the Point of View and notate the point of view next to the title. Use your yellow highlighter to locate the climax of the story.